Teachers grading assignments in Google Classroom can now use artificial intelligence to write feedback for students. The new feature, powered by Google’s Gemini AI, aims to speed up grading while keeping educators in the driver’s seat regarding final comments.
What Happened
Google has integrated a "Help me write" tool directly into the grading workflow for Google Classroom. When teachers open a student's document, they can prompt the AI to draft comments based on the specific assignment, the student's grade level, and selected learning goals.
The update, which began rolling out on February 19, allows educators to review and edit any AI-generated text before sending it to the student. Google emphasizes that this is a drafting tool, not an automated grading machine; the teacher retains full responsibility for the feedback. School administrators control access to this feature through the Google Admin console, meaning they can turn the service on or off for their district.
The Bigger Picture
Speeding up feedback is a major win for overworked teachers, but research suggests mixed results for student learning.
On the positive side, AI can produce high-quality advice. Studies show that AI tools can effectively emulate good feedback characteristics, such as being criteria-based and supportive. Industry data also indicates that these tools are capable of adapting to different grade levels, from elementary history to high school chemistry.
However, better comments do not always lead to better learning. A recent study found that while generative AI offered detailed suggestions, students actually revised their essays less compared to when they received feedback from a human teacher.
Trust is another hurdle. While students appreciate the speed of AI, they view human feedback as significantly more trustworthy. Research indicates that 90% of students trust teacher feedback, while only about 60% trust AI-generated advice. This suggests that while AI can handle the "heavy lifting" of drafting, the teacher's personal touch remains essential for student buy-in.
What This Means for Families
For parents, this update means your child might receive feedback on their work much faster. As we previously reported, Google is aggressively training educators to use these tools, so adoption may be quick.
Privacy is a common concern with AI in schools. According to Google's privacy policy for education, data used in "Core Services" like Classroom is not used to train their AI models. Furthermore, interactions with Gemini are kept within the school's organization and are not shared externally without permission. However, parents should know that administrators have the final say on data retention settings.
What You Can Do
- Ask about the policy. Contact your school administration to see if they have enabled Gemini in Classroom and what guidelines they have given teachers for its use.
- Check the feedback. Look at the comments on your child's assignments. If the feedback feels generic or robotic, encourage your child to ask the teacher specifically how to improve.
- Focus on revisions. Since AI feedback might make students passive, check that your child is actually applying the suggestions to future drafts rather than just reading them.